


She Didn’t Recognize Him

by timeisdisintegrating



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Doctor Who Christmas Special, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 11:57:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5333261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeisdisintegrating/pseuds/timeisdisintegrating
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had gotten her message on his psychic paper, much to his surprise, earlier that day. He had long ago given up the idea that he would see her again. But without hesitating, he showed up to help - not that she knew that it was him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	She Didn’t Recognize Him

**Author's Note:**

> A little fic for my growing Doctor Who Christmas Special feels, I couldn't help myself...

There were explosions, gun shots, giant robots – everything he could have possibly imagined when thinking about reuniting with his wife, but there was one problem.

She didn’t recognize him.

He had gotten her message on his psychic paper, much to his surprise, earlier that day. He had long ago given up the idea that he would see her again. But without hesitating, he showed up to help - not that she knew that it was him.

Earlier, they had been running from one of the robots and without thinking he had slipped his hand into hers. She had pulled her hand away almost immediately, as if she had been shocked, giving him a look that was both confused and slightly irritated. He had thought she would recognize him almost immediately. Sure, he was past his allotted number of regenerations, but he had assumed he wouldn’t have to introduce himself, his wife would know him no matter what.

_Apparently I was wrong_ , the Doctor thought grimly.

He refused to give up though; eventually she would figure it out and feel bad and he could have fun teasing her about it for years and years to come. But for now, he was handcuffed to a pole, watching River from afar as she hashed out the next move with her crew. _Of course she would have handcuffs_ , he thought, _especially for a strange old man like myself._

When, again, her hands had brushed his as she had locked him up, he figured that second time was all it would take. They had shared regeneration energy on more than one occasion and he knew she could feel the connection. He glanced at her joyfully as she stiffened but then she shook her head. She gave him a strange glance before walking away to join her crew and his face fell again. Apparently, she didn’t get the signal. _Yet, the look she gave me - she even can’t resist me even when she doesn’t know who I am…_

He chuckled a bit at the thought. She’d figure it out eventually.

“What’s so funny, old man?”

Her voice took him out of his thoughts and his eyebrows knit together as he grimaced - _only I can refer to myself as an old man._

River had finished chatting with the rest of the crew, a chat he had been cordially _uninvited_ to. Although he was having a bit of fun, it hurt that she mistrusted him. Not that he blamed her, she had been raised to mistrust anything and everything; a Scottish stranger was not excluded from that.

He remembered she was waiting for an answer.

“Nothing, dear,” he replied quickly without thinking.

River huffed and placed her hands on her hips. “I told you not to call me that. There is only one man who is allowed to call me that and you are not him. Do you want me to leave you handcuffed for the robots?”

_You’d be surprised how very much him I am…_ the Doctor bit his lip. _Better not cross her too much though_ , he thought. He had no doubt she would do exactly as she said.

“Sorry, Professor Song.”

She looked slightly appeased at that, but left him handcuffed while she spoke to him.

“I don’t have time to cart around strangers on this mission. You’re going to have to find a safe place to hide until we can get this problem under control. Understand?”

“I can perfectly well take care of myself, Song.”

Her eyes narrowed and he marveled in it. It had been so long since he had seen that look.

“Fine,” she replied, unlocking his handcuffs. He stepped away, massaging his wrists. She motioned for him to go in the other direction of her crew but he only grinned at her.

“I believe I could actually be of some help…”

River shook her head. “I have already called for someone, I don’t need you.”

He was starting to get frustrated, why couldn’t she figure it out already? He wasn’t going to be shipped off like some helpless civilian.

“Maybe I’m that person,” he offered, giving her his best goofy grin that would no doubt remind her of his previous regeneration. Instead, she pursed her lips.

“I am very certain you are not that person.”

His grin was wiped off his face and his eyes narrowed. He resolved to give her the final hint. He was not going to give in and tell her, and besides, she obviously wasn’t going to believe that he was her husband anyways.

He turned his back on her and stalked away.

She watched him walk away for a while before shaking her head to clear it. There was no way that he was the Doctor. She had seen all his faces.

The Doctor turned the next corner and came face to face with the T.A.R.D.I.S.. He frowned and pushed open the door. He walked quickly to the console and pulled a lever. The T.A.R.D.I.S. started to make its normal noise but he made it stay in place. After a few moments, he pushed the lever back up and the noise stopped. He waited another minute and then slowly walked back to the door.

He opened the door slowly, fearing she hadn’t heard the sound and wasn’t standing there. But, there she was, standing right outside the door. Wide-eyed.

“Doctor….” She whispered.

He watched her carefully as he stepped out of the T.A.R.D.I.S.

She continued to stare at him in astonishment. “Where did this new face come from?” She said, still staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. “Well, you know, sometimes regeneration energy drops from the sky and you get a few more faces…” She shook her head in disbelief. Then she composed herself and took on a more stern expression.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was you?” 

“I wanted you to guess.”

“You wanted me to _guess_?” she exclaimed. “How the _hell_ was I supposed to know it was you?”

“Well, I thought that if you touched me you would feel it, or when I called you dear, remember?” 

He chuckled a bit but River didn’t look amused at all. He started to feel a little scared at the expression she was taking on.

He continued on hastily, “I also did that stupid grin my previous regeneration did, you know, Bow-tie?”

“You thought _smiling_ at me was going to clue me in?” She advanced on him a little and he definitely felt scared now. “I was worried you were some kind of enemy spy!”

“Well, you didn’t recognize me immediately so I thought I’d have a little fun that I could tease you about later…”

He didn’t even see her hand move. But he felt the sting on his cheek as she slapped him. She apparently didn’t find a lot of humor in his games. He looked at her in dismay. _This did not go as planned_ , he thought. And yet, a slap was better than nothing. Centuries of not seeing your wife apparently made you indifferent.

Luckily though, she continued by grabbing his coat and pulling him in for a kiss.

It had been so long since he had kissed her. 

She pulled away after only a few seconds though and observed him. His expression looked like he was a person starved for water, and here she was – a river. She lifted a hand and traced the new lines on his new face. “How long has it been?” she said quietly. His expression had been an open book to her. He reached up and took her hand in his.

“A very long time.”

She looked pained at his answer but questioned him no more. She patted his chest and led him away from the T.A.R.D.I.S. and back towards her crew.

“Thanks for coming when called,” she said, grinning at him.

Of course, _dear_ ,” he said grinning back.


End file.
